Welcome to another time on #AwakeningYouths on the blog everyone!
So we have got two interviews to go on NYSC Youths Speaks and I saved the best two for last!
These two interviews were the longest I had and if you’ve ever been to NYSC Camp before, you’d know that one has to be passionate about something to squeeze out the time needed to answer interview questions with your heart in it.
Today’s interviewee was a member of my platoon at camp.
Some persons see me as a quiet girl but when I’m not talking, I’m always looking out for people who I sense have like minds like me and that’s how I spotted him.
Well, I won’t say why I thought that he’d be a good fit for the kind of youths I was looking out for, just read his interview for your self below…
Okoukoni Emmanue
Me: Let’s meet you please?
Emmanuel: My name is Okoukoni Emmanuel John, a graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State Nigeria.
I am also currently the National President of the Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Campus fellowships.
Me: Do you think that NYSC is being over hyped and has out lived itâs usefulness?
Emmanuel: Well, let me quickly say here that NYSC is not over-hyped in any form or way.
And whosoever is saying that NYSC is loosing it’s usefulness then I guess (or let me be bold to say that I strongly believe that such person/persons have no full and concrete idea on what NYSC is all about.
So I say with all sincerity that I don’t agree with that.
Me: So if NYSC hasnât outlived itâs usefulness to you, how has it helped you to be a better person?
Emmanuel: Wow! Talking about impacts of NYSC, is like telling me to write a full book because since I stepped my legs into the permanent orientation camp of NYSC here in Ekiti, I see myself taking a new form and living freely with people I never would have imagined I can tolerate in life.
NYSC brings diverse kind of humans (the funky, quiet, playful, serious, lazy, hard-working, etc) together and in the space of two weeks out of the three weeks I have stayed in Camp, I have seen myself living freely in love and care with others.
Like the motto states : Service And Humility, nothing outside these two things exist here in camp.
Service here isn’t optional but mandatory, while having men of the army to control you.
As per humility 101, food is the number one. Queuing up is everything, from registration to washing and cleaning of your fellow corpers toilets.
Waking up by 3am for 5am meditation.
SAED.
Drills, etc.
Just 10days in camp and I am a new man already.
I can wake up very early without stress and start a stressful day while still smiling and happy – “smiling hard”.
Me: Some Nigerians believe that funds are being wasted on Nigerian youths because they contribute nothing useful to the economy.
Emmanuel: No matter the amount of resources invested on the Nigerian youths, it can never be too much.
Reason is because, no man gets tired of investing into his future.
Young people of this great nation are the future of this nation.
Whoever opines that Nigerian youths in the NYSC scheme are not worth the huge resources invested on them during NYSC is adverse to the growth and development of this great nation.
As per contribution of young people to this country, no man or woman can deny their contribution to Nigeria.
Gone are the days when Government parastatals, NGO, companies, churches… believe that only old people have the adequate strength and skills to carry out functions and responsibility to any given entity.
Old people may have the ideas but young people are the ones with the strength to carry out these ideas.
We are the strength of this nation.
We might not be occupying where we are supposed to occupy in the society today but we are on our way.
I see a young man of less that 30years becoming our president some day.
Me: Tall dreams Emmanuel, but I faith them with you.
So with all you’ve said, prove the above mind set wrong using you as an example.
What goals have you set out to achieve during this one year that will impact the society positively?
Emmanuel: I don’t relate or associate with negative minded people right from my childhood days.
I stay positive even when things don’t look positive around me.
My dream for every young person is very mighty.
I am aiming for a generation of young people who will take every sector of the economy by storm and move to a level of recovery for all what we have lost over the years.
I am aiming for a generation of young people who aren’t mediocre and lazy minded people.
I am aiming for a generation of young people who will not join politicians to rig elections and divert funds or snatch election boxes and become thugs for adults who have turned thsi nation into something one can’t be proud of.
As per goals and projects, presently, I have a group of young people who are of like-minds with me.
We will be saddled with the responsibility to change the mindset of young people in our environment and beyond.
And like I said before when I introduced myself, I am presently the TREM campus president with over 30chapters and one chapter in Benin republic.
I will strive to use my leadership position to influence young people positively.
Until I hit my aim, I will not rest.
Me: And just one final question. Do you still believe in Nigeria?
Emmanuel: I believe from all I have said so far, you can boldly say that I am a true Nigerian and I strongly believe in Nigeria.
Our best days are here and it is getting better.
All issues revolving around the national security of this country are mere distractions and normal challenges any country can face.
Take for instance, a few years ago we didn’t have the number of Chinese and Koreans in Nigeria the way we have now.
Despite all our security challenges, investors and foreigners are rushing into this country everyday. Go to the airport and see for yourself.
Nigerian I remain and in Nigeria I die.
Me: Thank you so much for doing this with us today.
Please share ways to contact you with us:
Emmanuel:
Facebook: Okoukoni Emmanuel John
Twitter: @anointed_emmy
Blog: www.emafate.blog.com
Email: emafate05@gmail.com
Emafate@yahoo.com
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So I could feel the passion to do more and be more flowing out of me as I typed this out.
Hope it was the same for you as you read.
Be you a youth corper presently or not, please determine to leave wherever you are right now better than you found it.
Lives need the you in you to arise.
Lives need the purpose in you to bloom.
And it can bloom during your NYSC year, don’t waste it.
If you are just joining us, I am currently a youth corper and NYSC youths speak is an interview based forum I started at camp to encourage youths to make goals and fulfil them and not waste their service year.
You can read all interviews in this series here.
Till next time on NYSC youths speak,
Love,
Frances.
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